Best Public Schools in Dania Beach, FL

The city of Dania Beach, Florida, is served by three public schools within the Broward district, including two elementary schools and one middle school, with no high schools located within city limits.

The standout school in Dania Beach is Dania Elementary School, which has shown a remarkable turnaround, improving from a 2-star rating to a 3-star rating and now outperforming district averages in several subjects like 4th-grade ELA and math. This success is supported by the lowest student-teacher ratio in the city (15.4:1) and strategic spending. In contrast, Collins Elementary School presents a paradox: despite having the highest rates of economic disadvantage and chronic absenteeism, it achieved the city's highest single-subject proficiency rate (79% in 3rd-grade math). Meanwhile, Olsen Middle School faces the most significant challenges, with a 1-star rating, declining performance, and widespread academic gaps, particularly in 8th-grade science and math, where proficiency rates are well below district averages.

A key city-wide concern is chronic absenteeism, which is significantly higher than state averages at all three schools, ranging from 37.2% at Dania Elementary to 44.2% at Collins Elementary. Spending per student varies widely, from $12,646 at Olsen Middle to $17,710 at Collins Elementary, but the data suggests that how money is spent—such as on smaller class sizes at Dania Elementary—matters more than the total amount. The transition to middle school appears to be a critical drop-off point, as the strong performance at Dania Elementary does not carry over to Olsen Middle, highlighting a systemic issue that requires targeted intervention to improve attendance and academic engagement across the city.